


Wielder Of Flames

by Hufflepuff_King



Category: Merlin (TV), Original Work
Genre: AU, Dragonlord Merlin (Merlin), Dragonlords (Merlin), Gay, M/M, Merlin - Freeform, Merlin AU, Multi, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:35:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27822373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hufflepuff_King/pseuds/Hufflepuff_King
Summary: Dragons were getting fewer in their numbers under order of the king and only one boy could save them.DISCLAIMER: This story is based loosely around the show Merlin but isn't all accurate. It is mainly my own work but with the characters and will be a Merlin x Arthur fanfiction sort of thing.
Relationships: Hunith/Uther Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Kudos: 3





	1. First Breath

A warmth spread through the small home of a family of two. The smell of smoke encased every wall; pushing its way through the straw roof. It was an acrid kind of smell, one that traveled through the little village with such ease. The air became thick and grey within their little home. It clogged up quickly and wasted no time to fill the lungs of whoever it could find. A woman; the adult of the household under the name or Hunith was quick to investigate. Everything had come about so quickly. Fires were a rare thing these recent years.

"Merlin?" she asked out into the building as she covered her mouth.

Hunith's lungs ached and a lump rolled up her throat as she began to cough. Her eyes itched and burned. Trying to look through the smoke was difficult, but she knew she needed to continue on. Perseverance was key. The house was small so walking through it was far from a chore. In just a few long strides she was halfway through. It was getting harder and harder to see and breathe, but she refused to stop until she found Merlin. She followed the growing warmth that spread before finding a young boy, sitting aimlessly on the ground with black smudges covering his face and a raging fire burning through the side of the house.

"Mum! I'm sorry, It was an accident I-"

"No, no, come on," she hurried.

"But mu-"

"Merlin, quickly, we need to leave." She interrupted again.

Hunith began taking his hand and pulling him to his feet, this time he said nothing and instead followed his mother's orders. The fire was quick to take action and if they had time, questions would have been asked but that wasn't what Hunith was concerned for. Their lives mattered first.

Although the fire was hot and causing a bead of sweat to roll down Hunith's forehead, Merlin felt nothing, his lungs felt as though nothing had happened and the fire in overall seemed to have no effect over him. A confused feeling made his mind travel far distances. He looked up at her as they were dragged through the house. She was coughing and covering her mouth with the end of her old and dull dress that she had sown years ago. Without a father, all he had was his mother. If she ever got sick he was unsure of what he would do. Many people in the village got sick and his mother was the one to help them but who would be able to help her.

Merlin could still feel the warmth on his skin as they left the now crumbling building. It was falling apart behind them as fire tore it down. The air was colder outside, much colder. It held a bite to it. This was no condition for a fire to be able to just start. Although there was a chill against his skin there was a fire within his belly. It kept him warm and he felt alive. As if he was set alight just as his home was.

Hunith fell to her knees once far enough from the fire. She pulled Merlin down with her; closing her eyes and holding him tightly. Her heartbeat thumped loudly in the boy's ear despite the brown hair messily covering them. To him it sounded like someone repeatedly on a door in anger; not giving the homeowner a chance to open up. Hunith had been terrified, losing their home was devastating but nowhere near as losing her son would have been. A lump rolled up her throat and she chocked as tears rolled down her soot ridden cheeks.

"Merlin..." She sighed, pausing in order to try and compose herself. "I thought I was going to lose you."

By now all the village folk are standing around, it was a small village but it was home. Everyone knew everyone and it was like one large family so it wasn't a surprise when they all came to help. Women stood back, holding their children and keeping them out of the way. One woman, however, came up to Hunith and Merlin, bending down and offering a small smile. A smile was worth more than words, it showed that she cared and was there for them. Hunith was grateful and nodded in her direction. She wiped her tears with her arm which only smudged the soot more.

While the women of the village stood back the men got to work. If this fire wasn't handled and handled quickly then the whole village that they have worked so hard on would have all been for nothing. It was a difficult task at hand, especially with so little resources. Thankfully for them, the bucket had been around longer than them. They wasted no time, one by one as if they were a factory line, designed to work in sync. Each man had their own bucket, they ran to the well that sat in the middle of their village while others ran to the small river that ran through the back. Once their pails were full they hurried on back and threw the water over the burning building. This all happened in quick succession as the women and children looked on in fear.

A lot of the children hadn't witnessed fire before so their eyes were stuck to it. The straw roof first simply glowed orange before caving in. Once it did the fire roared upwards and embers flung over the ground. Smoke travelled up and mothers pulled their children's curious eyes further away. Most of these people seemed so scared of it but not one boy. Merlin was drawn to it like a young moth. Everything about it seemed so mysterious. The iridescent glow and the heat that warmed him was like none other. It seemed so powerful, it destroyed a hole building in a matter of seconds yet it took months to build. He wanted to see more but those people's fear of it had him sit quietly beside his mother as guilt rose in his stomach.

***

Putting out the fire took hours and many had suffered burns that were helping with it. The destruction was by no means, shape or form going to be able to be fixed. It would be easier to build a whole new place than to fix it. All the men were hot and sweaty, finally sitting down to take a break from all the hard labour. They were used to working but a job like that took a lot of manpower.

The whole roof had nothing remaining as if it had never existed. The walls had caved in and everything the pair had ever owned besides some glass bottles and the old books. Such books held a magical property to them, they couldn't be destroyed by anything. Fire couldn't even leave a mark and no pages were damaged by its tyranny. No magic could destroy them either for they were crafted by the ancient gods to make sure no knowledge is ever forgotten. They had found humans and those of lesser than themselves could be so forgetful and it was the only way they would know of all myth and legends.

Hunith walked through the now rubble and dust from her once cherished home. She stood in the middle and looked around, sniffling as the tears once again returned to her. This small little home was the last of what she had of her husband other than her son so it hit her hard. They had built this home together, it was hard and took months but they did it, now look at it. Nothing but a pile of wasted time. She was silent as she looked around, looking for anything salvageable, all the while tears fell from her now red eyes; cleaning her cheeks for her.

Merlin watched, his brows knitted together and chocolate eyes filled with sadness. It was rare to see his mother in such a state. She was usually so busy and her smile would brighten anyone's day so seeing her cry was a shock. All because of him. He looked down to his shoes, grinding the heel into the dirt while his hands held each other behind his back. Merlin had never witnessed something so destructive yet it called to him. People were so scared of the fire, he could see the fear in their eyes but not he. Merlin frowned a little, he was so different to everyone and he hated it, he wanted to be the same, to fit in yet he stood out like an annoying splinter.

Kicking the dust with his shoe, he shook his head at himself and followed his mother into the rubble. He needed to comfort her, not mope about. This was his fault and he felt as though he needed to make amends. As he came over to her she was kneeling in the damage while picking up some of her books; brushing them off. Merlin watched as tears dropped onto the covers and heard her sniffle. Hesitantly, he placed his hand on her shoulder in attempts to comfort. Hunith jumped a little and slowly turned to look up.

"I'm sorry ma' I really am,"

"Oh son, this isn't your fault." She reassured.

Hunith pulled her son to her chest and kissed the top of his head. Merlin opened his mouth to speak before closing it as he remembered what his mother told him when he was younger. She told him that if he noticed anything strange about himself or if anything out of the ordinary happened he mustn't tell a soul. He must stay quiet and only tell her when they were alone and in secret. That was the first time she had ever been stern with him and Merlin knew she was serious so he kept to his word. To this day nothing weird had happened.

Merlin helped her from there, picking up the books and small glass bottles that laid among other shattered glass. He made sure to be careful when touching it, one heavy hand and he could cut himself. He didn't want to add to his mother's stress right now. His hands shot up to his ears as the sound of his mother standing on broken glass grinded through his ears. He groaned a little and squinted with one of his eyes. Loud and sharp noises had always gotten to him. His ears were sensitive and he could hear each little sound. Merlin looked around to try and find the source when he saw his mother looking around while walking carefully over to him.

Hunith carefully stepped through the rubble over to her son, her foot had made contact with glass and she herself also cringed. She knew of her son's sensitive ears and always made sure to avoid anything that would hurt them. The tall, slender woman gave him an apologetic look, her intentions were never to harm anyone. She was the kind of woman who would give up everything just to help someone. Hunith gently rubbed Merlin's back before heading over to where the land was no longer a pile of her home.

"Thank you everyone, you have all helped so much," Hunith spoke. Her voice was melodic and held a kindness about it like no other. Everyone had grown to adore hearing her voice for it brought them great comfort. "In return, whoever has suffered due to the fire, please come to me by the little river, I will aid with the burns."

The men of village Rahm who had the most serious burns wasted no time to follow the woman. The burns were mainly on their hands but some had them travelling up their arms. It was a reminder of the old times and it brought a fear to some of them. Fear was seemingly a constant thing then, they used to be so lively and carefree but not anymore, each move was a move made in caution. There was much to lose.

Hunith made herself busy at the River Nordic, this river was always her go to place. It lies across the land in smooth seductive curves, beautiful in the morning light, cool and innocuous. Many preferred it to that of an angry fire. It brings life and joy. Yet it hides a myriad of dangers, its swift undertow being the least of one's concerns. Silent creatures waiting for the perfect moment to grasp at prey. Many children had fallen subject to the water's danger but adults were too risky of a task for those lurking.

She quietly hummed her mother's song as she laid out several dark coloured leaves along the river bank while also using her hand to dip into the water and then rub that water into a leaf one by one. While speaking a spell on the water, a spell that she had learnt in her early years from her mother. Like each daughter from her family line she was born with the magic to heal and only to heal. If she were to try and use anything else, it simply wouldn't work.

"Da mihi hanc aquam, qui non indigent, sed non aqua, ut sanitas et amor," Hunith spoke in a quiet and soft tone, putting all the love her heart could muster into the words.

Hunith repeated this for multiple leaves, one for each man that she knew from the village which was all of them. Once she had finished with setting up the leaves, she turned to the water once again, cupping some in her hands and bringing it up to her face in order to wash the soot off. She then rinsed off her arms, watching the water turn a tint of grey around her for only a few moments.

"Hunith?" a raspy voice spoke up, giving it the sign of age.

Hunith looked up from what she was doing and offered the man a kind smile as she always did. She eyed up his hands and arms to see where she would need to wrap with the leaf. Her brown eyes gracefully glided over his skin until they settled on the already blistering burn. Seeing such a burn brought back memories. Memories of the old days, days where fires were common. This had been the first in years.

Standing, Hunith let her eyes look into the man in front of hers while gently taking his arm in her hands. She used both and was as gentle as possible by any stretch of the imagination. A burn like that must have hurt significantly and although the fire was far from her fault she felt a pang of guilt rise up her stomach in bubbles. Hunith closed her eyes with his arm in her hands, a single tear rolling down her cheeks.

"I ask of you, please take this man's pain and suffering away from him and allow him to heal," she whispered.

A flicker of light had travelled through the burn and caused a tingling sensation until it went numb. Hunith's magic was strong and with her words and determination she was able to take the man's pain away from him. Once the little light had passed Hunith picked up one of the leaves and wrapped it around his burn. To make sure it stayed there she put pressure on it and rubbed it until it adhered to his skin.

"You must not try to take this off, it will take away the healing it is giving. The leaf will dissolve as the wound heals. Once healed there will be nothing there," Hunith instructed.

"Thank you Hunith, It feels better already,"

"Of course, anything to help Ajan,"

"If you would like, you and Merlin can stay at our place until something is sorted for you two, we would be more than happy to welcome you into our home," Ajan offered.

Hunith smiled once more, a couple tears escaping her once more. Being a healer came with both benefits and its disadvantages. With Hunith, a disadvantage was how much she cared about things. She was so emotional and her emotions always came out as strong. She cared so much about others so hearing Ajan offer something so kind warmed her heart.

"Thank you my dear Ajan, Merlin and I would be grateful to take such an offer,"

Ajan chuckled softly at Hunith's response. He nodded to her agreement and gave her a one armed hug in a friendly manner as if he was saying 'you're welcome'.

***

Once everyone who needed her help and attention was seen, Hunith stood and brushed the dirt from her hand sewn dress. Her magic took a lot of energy from her but things still needed to be done. There were always days where there would be a lot needed from her, other days she didn't need to do anything at all. It was those days that she spent sewing and teaching Merlin. He had been such a knowledge leech in his growing years and still had such a thirst for it all as he grew.

Merlin came over to his mother's side, he had known she was busy so kept his distance after thoroughly looking through the rubble for anything important. He made sure to set it somewhere safe and while he waited he sat by the boars they kept. He always had such love for animals and little creatures. There was just some part of him that wanted to protect him and it seemed they saw that. The boars that the village kept and bred were usually so scared of the people there but with Merlin it was different. He would sit still in their pen and they would just come up to him and relax beside him.

"Mum? Are you busy?" Merlin asked.

"Not for you,"

Hunith smiled and turned to look at her son. She embraced him into a warm hug, a soft sigh leaving her lips. Whenever she saw his face she felt so much calmer. Her arms were long and gave Merlin a sense of protection. He nuzzled his face into her chest and closed his eyes. He loved his mother more than anything. Whatever went wrong she was always there and would always lend a helping hand. To anyone.

"Ma, It was my fault..." Merlin admitted.

He felt a chill run down his spin and he gripped onto her tighter in fear. His eyes stung and he closed them tight. Hunith frowned and looked down to Merlin. Slowly she moved her hands so they were on his shoulders and pushed him back gently. Just so she could see his face. She crouched down so they were eye level and made eye contact.

"My dear boy, what was your fault? The fire? Don't be silly," her expression was soft and her eyes twinkling with some amusement.

"Really it was! I..." Merlin spoke up defensively before looking down and fiddling with his fingers. "I don't know how it happened," he said quietly this time.

Merlin shook his head and put his face in his hands, sniffling a little. It had been so overwhelming for him, he had no clue what was happening or what to do about it. People were hurt and their home was destroyed. He couldn't go back in time. The guilt was deathly.

Hunith's amusement faded as soon as she caught how distraught Merlin was. Her mouth had opened in order to try and console her son but he had beat her to it. She gently shook her head and looked around to see if anyone was looking. Whatever was going on in her little boy's mind wasn't for the ears of others. She motioned for him to come with her while taking his arm and taking him further down the river.

"This has really got you worked up hm?" she asked quietly. "Why don't you talk to me about what happened then?"

Merlin closed his eyes as they walked, putting his safety on his mother. He trusted her more than he trusted himself. In order to calm himself he put all his senses onto everything else, keeping him from panicking. Slowly but surely all the sounds of nature came to him so much stronger than they would anyone else. The rushing of the water that slapped across the rocks, the steps in the grass and the sound of twigs snapping in the far distance all taking him away from reality.

Next he took a deep breath in but that seemed to be a mistake. All the natural and enjoyable smells were clouded by the thick smell of burnt straw and remains of everything that the fire had destroyed. The bitterness was still lingering in the air and Merlin's face had scrunched up in displeasure. His eyes shot open, looking up to his mother before looking back down and kicking the small rocks along the water's edge.

"The fire. I don't know how it happened but since I awoke this morning I have had this strange feeling, like my stomach..."

Merlin had cut himself off, stopping and clutching his stomach in his hands with a frown. It felt so odd, it was a feeling he had never felt before and yet he yearned for more.

"Like my stomach was bubbling and burning but it didn't hurt. It felt completely normal. It grew worse and worse until I was going to throw up, instead of breakfast it was fire, I'm really sorry mum," Merlin whimpered.

Hunith was silent the whole time Merlin was talking, watching the water as she listened. It was just as she feared. When Merlin was born his eyes were slits and he bore a black flame on the right side of his chest. It was something no one had ever seen before and Hunith was worried there was something wrong with him. It was barely a day after he was brought into the world that she pulled out her old books.

What she found was an ancient myth, one believed to have just been written to scare others into leaving the dragons be. A myth Hunith was stuck on being just that. She refused to believe her son was that out of the ordinary. The only thing that linked him to the Halitus Ignis legend was that mark as well as being born with eyes of a dragon. Denial told her that since his eyes were now normal that it was all just a coincidence. Her son was just as human as the next boy.

"Merlin, I should have known, everything about you has screamed at me. I should have made you aware," she sighed. "You must have been so scared," she whispered, more to herself than anything.

"What do you mean?" Merlin asked.

"We will talk about this later, it's no longer safe."

Merlin opened his mouth to protest but closed it. If his mother thought it was no longer safe and that they should wait then he would have to be patient. She was the smartest woman he knew and he would follow her side no matter his own belief.

***

The pair spoke nothing of it from then, following what Hunith had said. They took a leisurely walk back up the river. Hunith was silent at first but soon the two were talking like they were the best of friends as they usually did. Merlin sneakily reached his hand up and tickled her side which led them to an abrupt stop with Hunith laughing and jerking away.

"Hey!" she laughed,

Hunith was quick to pick him up, he was getting heavier now but with his small frame it wasn't too difficult. She held him over the river, echoes of their laughter flooding through their small village. Some took the time to look and see what it was all about; glad to see they were finding happiness during this tough time. Others scoffed and muttered to each other about how pathetic it was. Not that Hunith or Merlin knew of such.

"I might just have to throw you into the river and feed you to the mermaids!" Hunith teased as she dangled Merlin over the water.

Merlin struggled in her arms, his own laughs tightening his stomach. He shook his head and begged her to stop. The laughter was loud and obnoxious but they didn't care. They never had, all they cared about was making the other happy.

Hunith brought Merlin away from the water and set him down. Her hand came up and she put it in his hair; gently ruffling it. Merlin's eyes squinted a little but the smile showed his contentment. His mother always ruffled his hair and it was his favourite thing. He became sweet butter in her hands. His cheeks glowed and he smiled at her lovingly.

"I love you ma,"

"I love you too son," Hunith replied.

After looking at each other for a short few moments, Merlin's playful glint in his brown eyes returned. As if the boy had some evil plan to get her back for her little trick she played on him. He turned to face the village, the corner of his lip turning up in a smirk. As if she could read her son's mind, Hunith prepared herself to run.

"Whoever reaches Ajan and Lita's place last is a rotten boar!" Hunith called out.

They both began running as fast as their legs could take them. Merlin had the advantage of being young and fast. There was clearly no question as to who would win. That wasn't to say neither party wouldn't try. Merlin could hear his mother's thumping feet against the ground not too far behind him. He heard her giggle behind him as they came up into the village.

Merlin pushed himself to run a little faster, a competition was always fun and he didn't want to lose. The title of a rotten boar? He would rather sleep with them. 


	2. Alone

Rocks shifted and rubbed together as the ground rumbled and heated up. Grey smoke and steam rose up in a swirling dance as if it would be their last. Some rubble and rock stumbled off the side. The sound of rock tumbling against rock echoed through the cave. It was otherwise silent so stood out like a sore thumb. It was loud and abrupt. No human ears would have heard it, only those within the cave and not much did live within. Not many could even find it. Only those who were in need could see and enter. 

Deep within the cave where the rocks were rumbling sat an egg. Not any ordinary egg. Not the small pale egg from a pheasant or that of any bird. This egg was like no other. It was large and looked to be incredibly heavy.  Inside the cave it sat in a dark corner, the darkness having loomed over it and protecting the egg from any eyes that may have managed to slip into the safety of the cave. No longer was that the case. Light illuminated every corner of the cave from the egg. The light coming from it gave an orange glow and as it rocked from side to side it impersonated that of a fire. 

Covering the egg were scales, scales like that of a snake. In its normal state the egg was a dusty grey but as it rocked and rumbled the scales upon it glowed amber and heat radiated from it. The fire only grew as each second passed and heat turned stone red around the egg.  Through the rocking and rumbling there was a loud crack, it echoed through the walls louder than any of the tumbling rocks that had fallen off to the side. It sounded much similar to one stepping on glass but there was no glass. Only an egg and rock upon earth and more rock. An egg with now a long crack running from the base and through the scales up.

One crack started it all. More, smaller cracks followed on from then. Each one sounded the same, each one making the fire crackle and dim with it. No longer did it thrash, instead it sat there calm as each crack took their place. Slowly, the scales from the egg began to fall. As they hit the ground a puff of smoke rolled out into the air and left no sign of there ever being scales.  The last scale fell, turning to dust as it hit the ground. Once it had silence once again overcame the cave and it became pitch black. No light illuminated any spot of the cave and it went back to how it usually was. No sign of life and no sign of the egg. Just silence and darkness. For a few moments it stayed like this but not forever. All of a sudden there was a burst of bright light. Rocks flew in every direction, creating a conundrum of sounds without a place to put them on. 

A screeching cry pushed through these sounds. It was louder than anything else, louder than a million drums. The cave walls shook and crumbled slightly as if they were fearing whatever mighty creature would step out. Although, the creature that stood into the light was not one of true power. They were a tiny thing, no bigger than a common pheasant. They were not covered in feathers nor were they a speckled brown with a green neck. 

This creature was beautiful in its own right, more so than the egg it came from. Her body was covered in the same colour scales as the egg, a dusty grey that blended easily into the darkness of the cave. Her eyes were just as dark, being a dull brown, except they held a redness to them like no other. She was a splitting image of any dragon, except she wasn’t. All dragons are scaled with dark colours to help them hide and blend in so her dusty grey was only ordinary. The strangeness of her was two grey ears that flopped down by the sides of her head, much like a hound. This part of her was not covered in scales and instead they were just skin. Creatures like her were thought to be completely eradicated. Making her potentially the last of her kind. 

The young dragon looked around, she could see as bright as day for her eyes were better than any human. She cried out again, calling for her mother or even her father. She received nothing but silence back. That didn’t stop her though. Slowly and not so elegantly she traveled through the cave, tripping over her own wings as she called out over and over again. 

Her whole being told her to find her mother or anyone whom she could look up to. She was just hatched and so vulnerable. She had no way of protecting herself, anything that wanted to kill or hurt her, could. She needed someone to be able to protect her and teach her. Instinct was everything a young dragon acted upon when they hatched.  Walking slowly grew less of a chore. She managed to hold her wings out of the way and be able to focus on the way her legs moved. They were stiff and it was an awkward motion from being all stuffed up in that egg. She could move further and not trip but it wasn’t a skill she had mastered quite yet. All good came with time though. She knew that. The knowledge of past dragons slowly filled her mind. Every tale and every story. Little by little she gained the knowledge all dragons hatched with.

Her eyes squinted as a light shone into them, hope swarmed her heart as she looked on. The cave opening laid a few feet away, most of it was covered in green vines and leaves attached to old branches to shield the eyes of the unwanted but light still managed to snake its way inside.  With a little bounce to her walk the hatchling wandered over to where the light shone, making her way to leave and carry on her search for a dragon to call her mother. She poked her head out from the safety of the cave before freezing as she heard a voice inside her head. 

“Stop, it isn’t safe for you. It isn’t safe for any of us anymore. Step one claw out of the cave of vita and you will no longer be safe. This cave right now is protecting you. I know you wish for a mother but she is no longer around. We have been waiting for you to come about and now you have. 

“Everyone is excited to see you my dear but first you must wait for him. He will find you and bring you back stronger than ever. You and him will rise and rule them all. Just have patience, child. Go back inside and rest, stay warm. Stay safe.”

She listened and lowered her head, she knew she should listen but she also wanted to go out and see the world. However, with a little whimper the young dragon took a few steps backwards; listening to the advice of the stranger. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is a bit shorter but do not worry! It is just for emphasis


	3. The book

The day had been a quick one. Everyone had been kept busy. Dahlia avoided Merlin as much as possible, she kept her eyes on him from afar while her parents had made sure to tell her to be nice. They had said that the boy had lost both his father and now his home. He was a nice boy and that he would be staying here for a while. If he was to stay then it would be no use to anyone for her to just avoid him. 

Merlin was sitting against a wall, his eyes following the small rock that he repeatedly threw into the air and then caught it with ease. His eyes were quicker than those else he knew, his reflexes beyond any capable human. Even that of a highly trained knight. 

He focused all of his senses on the small stone. He could smell where it once was, its journey. It once had been within the water, the salt from the sea lingering on Merlin’s tongue but the smell of dirt was stronger, telling him it had spent a lot of its lifetime kicked around in mud, both wet and dry. It was smooth yet not round, its shape bent and disfigured. 

The boy’s focus was pulled out as the sound of quiet steps disrupted the flow. The rock fell and hit the ground as he looked up. Dahlia flinched and took a step back at the sound. 

“I-I’m sorry sir, I didn’t mean to disturb you,” Dahlia spoke, her fingers fidgeting in front of her. 

Merlin couldn’t help but smile, it was cute. She was so shy and scared, it reminded him of himself when he was just a few years younger. He had grown and gained his confidence. He hoped she would grow in that way too. He stood and shook his head to dismiss the notion. 

“Don’t worry little miss, you did nothing to disturb me. You can call me Merlin, I’m no sir,” Merlin spoke. 

“Thank you Merlin, you may call me Dahlia,” she said in return, giving a little curtsy which was followed by a giggle from herself.

Merlin followed along and bowed in an over dramatic style. Dahlia let herself giggle again, her hand coming up to cover her mouth. She felt her cheeks slowly heat up and she just hoped that Merlin couldn’t see. A fallen wish. Merlin stood back up from his bow only for his eyes to meet the pink hue that now sat on her cheeks. His lips curled up into a grin and he chuckled softly. 

***

“Look at them, she was so scared of him but now, she's talking freely to him,” A woman spoke up. 

She was fairly beautiful herself but not as much as Hunith. She was a few inches shorter than most women in the village and her hair was an unusual shade of red, just like her daughter. Many believed her to be a witch due to her hair and even tried to tie her to a spike and set her alight. The last time they did, the fire got to her but thankfully Ajan had helped. He risked his life to save her from the flames and now they had three beautiful children together. After then, she had kept herself away in the little village Ealdor that sat on the outskirts of the land Essetir.

“I do apologise for that, Merlin felt awful about scaring her,” Hunith said, her thin brows pulling together into a frown. 

“No, no need to apologise Hunith. She has always been quite the jumpy sort of children. She prefers to hide behind her fathers pants than be out and playing with the other two,” Lita spoke. “isn’t that right dear?” 

Ajan looked up from the table the three of them were sat at, glancing between both his wife and Hunith, he was holding a small dagger the blacksmith had made for him back when he lived in his home place. It was like no other weapon forged here in the village or even of the closest kingdom to them. The steel was black; showing where it is from and that he is a skilled fighter. Which he definitely was. Ajan use to be a lot of different thing’s. His surname holds nobility which had granted him a position under the king’s knights. He served honourably but once Uther had banned magic and went to murder Lita he left those days behind. 

“Oh, yes, that's right. Dahlia would hide behind me all day if she was allowed,” 

“Bless her sweet heart, Merlin use to be the same. She will get her confidence, maybe one day even too much, sometimes I wonder where Merlin got it,” Hunith said.

“Ajan, put that away, you know there are to be no weapons at the table,” Lita said, frowning at Ajan for forgetting the rules. 

A small sigh left his lips but Ajan smiled and nodded, he stood from his seat with the dagger in his hands. He stepped around in a few long strides only to lean down and wrap one arm around Lita’s chest and planting a hard and passionate kiss on her cheek. His love for her was stronger than he could have ever imagined. He would protect his family with his life. 

Hunith watched in longing, her eyes tearing up a little but she quickly straightened herself and wiped the tear away as quickly as she could. She didn’t want them to see that. She missed her husband more than anything, she wished he had been there to help her like Ajan was. Sometimes she would get angry but she knows it wasn’t his fault. He had a duty to protect and was punished for it. 

Ajan stood and walked away from the table, turning the corner and disappearing from both of the woman’s sight. As he did, Lita turned to Hunith with a smile on her thin pink lips and noticing her slight change in mood. Her brows came together in a frown once more and she placed her heavily scarred up hand onto Hunith’s shoulder. 

In return Hunith looked over to her shoulder and followed the hand up to the woman beside her. She saw her frown and smiled wearily at her. 

“Hunith, you know…” Lita started, looking over to Merlin and Dahlia for a moment before looking back to Hunith. “You never told me about what happened to Balinor, I know you don’t want Merlin knowing but It always makes me wonder. Why not find someone? I can see you aren’t happy an-”

“Lita, no, I can’t” Hunith spoke, her chest rising then falling with a sharp breath leaving her. “I could never find anyone else, no one could ever replace the place he had in my heart. He was my other half, my soul. I loved him more than Earth itself and still do.”

“I know but Balinor wouldn’t have liked it very much now would he? He would want you to be happy and he would want someone strong to protect you and Merlin, that boy hasn’t had any man to teach him proper.” Lita said.

“Lita, I can’t expect you to understand but just imagine that Ajan slipped through your fingers and disappeared into the air as if he was just dust. Could that hole ever be filled? Would you ever be able to love someone else?” Hunith asked. 

“...No, I don’t suppose I could,” she closed her eyes and sighed softly. 

The thought of losing one you love so dearly was a painful thing to think about. Lita felt her heart clench and ache in her chest. She knew it wasn’t her heart that felt the emotions but it felt that way. Her chest tightened and she felt an overwhelming panic hit her. Death was always a difficult act that everyone had to deal with. Death was always there and it was constantly creeping closer, year by year. In order to try and distract herself from her overwhelming fear of death she thought of something else to speak about to Hunith. 

“The fire,”

“The fire?”

“Yes, the fire,” Lita confirmed, her thoughts coming together as they spoke. “Days are getting colder, recently that has meant fires never really started. They only started in the colder months when dr...sorry, when they were around. I haven’t seen one for over a decade,”

Hunith listened to Lita speak, finding it being spoken in an odd and confusing way. She listened the best she could and tried to find meaning in her words. Once she had she froze in her chair and looked through to Merlin who was happily just talking to Dahlia and reading. 

“I know, it was definitely strange, maybe I left the fire on when I was making a drink or maybe there are still a few around, I’m not sure but what’s done is done, now we just need to start over and build it all back up. At least I have my books.”

***

Not many who didn’t grow as lord’s and lady’s would learn to read. Their parent’s wouldn’t have been taught so neither would they. However, being a healer for a mother and having all the first born girls in their family line be born a healer, teaching them to read was essential. Healers relied on their books so in turn relied on their capability of reading in both common tongue and in the language of old. 

In having no sisters, Merlin was instead taught how to read and had grasped the concept much quicker than most. In fact it was much easier for him to pick up the old language. He remembered when he was younger, the children would look at him when he spoke. Sometimes he would accidentally speak in that language instead of common tongue. 

“Yes, that's it! Well done Dahlia!” Merlin said, “You are learning so quickly.”

Merlin looked at Dahlia as he spoke to her, his face bright and his smile wide as he listened to her read out words slowly from a book. It was an old book but it was kept in impeccable condition. The cover hardly had any scratches on the surface and the only sign of age was the slight change in the colouration of the pages. They were no longer pure white and instead just an off white. 

“Well you are an amazing teacher Merlin, thank you,” Dahlia said. 

Merlin simply shook his head and leaned closer to her, looking over her shoulder at the words to carry on helping her learn how to read the words off of the page. The older one got the harder it was to learn so Dahlia being only nine worked a charm. She picked it up just as easily as she learnt to sow. At times she struggled on the words but the longer they read the book together, the better she got. 

As time passed, they sat together while Merlin read and helped her learn how to read the words off of the page. They spoke about themselves and acted as though they had known each other longer than they had. They shared funny stories and enjoyed being in each other's company. Dahlia only spent time with her family, she disliked going out and socialising with those she didn’t know so this was strange. Strange but welcome. 

“Dahlia!”

“Dahlia!”

Two voices who seemed in sync rung through the house. It was loud and made Merlin jump a little. He looked around and got into a more protective stance, his eyes narrowed and he looked around. Dahlia on the other hand seemed much more calm than him. Then again she was used to it. 

The little red head sighed and looked over to Merlin, a look of confusion taking over her expression. To her, the voices weren’t too loud but maybe she was used to it. Hesitantly, she placed a hand on his knee and smiled comfortingly up at him when he looked at her. 

“Don’t worry about those two, they are just my two younger brothers,” Dahlia said. 

As if on cue, two little black haired boys bombarded over to them, sitting in front and staring at the strange boy in their house. They then looked at eachother, almost in sync. It was clear they were twins, there wasn’t a hair on their head that was different to the other. 

“Who’s he?” Darian, one of the brothers spoke up. 

“Darian, this is Merlin. His house got burnt down today so he is staying with us with his mother for a little while,” Dahlia said. 

“Its nice to meet you both, what may I call you?” Merlin managed to gain his confidence back up after the sudden burst from the younger boys. 

“I’m Darian and this is Aloe, what are you two doing?” he spoke fast, not one breath pulling through his lungs until he stopped. 

Aloe was surprisingly quiet. As much as he is more outgoing than Dahlia he still had spouts of shyness. Not only that but Darian was rare to let anyone else get a word in. Aloe quietly sat in front of Merlin, crouching on his knees as he peeked over to the book Merlin was holding. To him and Darian it was just a blur on a piece of paper. It seemed all jumbled and impossible to make sense of. 

“I was showing Dahlia how to read before just reading her this book,” Merlin answered. 

“It’s a really interesting one boys! I didn’t know dad had it, it's all about dragons.”

“Dragons!? But ma said w-”

“Shhh Aloe, I know but what harm could a book do?” Dahlia interrupted. She had quickly reached over and clasped her hand over her brother's mouth. 

Aloe’s face scrunched up and he pursed his lips behind his sister's palm. He tried to be the little angel his mother saw him as but as he grew older, Darian and Dahlia’s mischievous ways would rub off on him so away from her eyes he was as devilish as them. 

Getting sick of the hand over his mouth, Aloe stuck his tongue out and licked all over Dahlia’s hand, making sure it was covered in saliva as quickly as possible before she yanked it away. 

“Ewww! Aloe!” Dahlia screamed. 

She wiped her hand on Aloe’s clothes with her face scrunched up in disgust. Merlin laughed quietly, snickering almost. He looked at the three with a heaviness to his gaze. He could never admit it or tell his mother but he had always wanted siblings, to take care of someone younger than him that was also his blood but with his father gone he knew that could never happen. 

After all the snickering and whining from the three siblings had passed, Darian turned his attention to the book in Merlin’s hand. He then looked to his mother for a second. 

“I have an idea, why don’t we go into our room, put up a quick fort and get comfortable and then Merlin could read us that book,” 

“Darian, Merlin might not want to,” Dahlia said, scolding her brother like a mother would do. 

“Oh no, Thank you little miss but I think that sounds splendid,”

“You speak funny,” Aloe spoke up abruptly, thick black eyebrows knitting together in a look of confusion. 

A little scream of surprise rung through everyone’s ears as Dahlia slapped her brothers arm. Aloe gasped, his eyes wide in shock. For his sister to slap him or even tell him what to do was something new. All three were normally partners in crime but when it came to Merlin he noticed his sister seemed adamant in protecting him. Instead of making much of a scene Aloe simply rolled his eyes and rubbed where his Dahlia had slapped. 

“Lets just go enjoy a good book,” Darian said.

The three nodded in agreement before standing and following behind him. The home was small and much similar to the one Merlin lived in before the fire brought it to its knees without mercy. Their room was just a few steps away and those few steps were very important, it was the barrier between their parents ears and their tales of dragons. Children had such great imagination and naturally had a strong need to learn and know everything. Sometimes without the sense that it could become dangerous. 

Within the room, thin white sheets and old clothes were thrown around with the help of pegs and a broomstick. Pillows were arranged in a way that would be most comfortable and the children were very proud of their creation. Dahlia went inside first, making herself comfortable and leaving room next to her for Merlin to lean against the wall as the boys came in and laid themselves down amongst the pillows. Merlin was the last to enter, growing slightly nervous as he audience watched him expectantly. 

He let his eyes close and he focused on the steady beating of each heart in the room, his chest rising and falling slowly. Once he felt himself relax his lips curled up into a small smile and his eyes opened. 

“Right, if you are comfortable I think I will start,” Merlin said, looking at the cover of the book, “Its called ‘A fight of fire and steel’.”

Darian and Aloe looked up, their eyes full of wonder. Aloe used Darian but he didn’t mind, it made him warm and feel safe. The brothers were closer than anything and that was clear to anyone. Dahlia on the other hand just sat beside Merlin quietly, looking over his shoulder at the words. 

“Dragon’s have been around longer than any man and no one, no one has the strength or power to change that, I remember the first time I set my eyes on one. A beautiful creature that once roamed the skies gracefully, blends of both bright and dark, they feared nothing.

“They ruled both land and sky, whoever tried to stand in their way they could stop. Claws sharper than any weapon, bodies larger than any boulder and scales thicker than any skin. Nothing could hurt them but their fire devoured everything it touched. 

“With all these weapon’s they possesed they tried their best to be gentle with the Earth and hardly fought back. Man kind would go after them and all they would do is run and hide. They grew fewer for a short time but as man began to seek to protect them they came back out of hiding.”

**Author's Note:**

> Something new for me that I hope to turn into a book once finished, please leave some feedback!


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